Have you ever wondered how different your life would be if you lived in a different place? In a different time even? Would you know the same people in some strange twist of fate? Would you enjoy different things? Feel things differently? End up the end?

Well, I wonder that all the time. What if I had moved to a different town when I was young- would I still be writing this story? Or what if I had been born in a different time altogether? Maybe I would have the same friends, same school marks, and the same job. Maybe not.

This might be far fetched, but if you have ever wondered any of these things, read story starts out more than sixty years ago in 1939.

PROLOGUE

"War doesn't involve us, Riley, it's overseas. Sure we'll send a few boys over, but it'll be finished in a few months- at least that's what they're saying anyway."

A young girl of about 15 shrugged and rested an elbow atop the picnic table she was seated at. Her thick black hair hung loosely down her back, clipped with a tiny barrette at the side. Her name was Genevieve, but was widely known as Eve. The girl who she was speaking to, Riley, wore a darkened expression upon her face and she shook her head slowly.

"I don't know Eve, I'm pretty sure it concerns us. We can't just ignore the fact that they're sending armies over there to fight and all." Riley sighed deeply. She didn't like this war business at all.

All in all, there were four girls sitting at the picnic table that day. There was Riley and Eve of course, and then there were two more. One was sitting on top of the table, and the other was stretched out on the ground. Each was 15 years old and attended Briarwood Public School in their small Canadian village called, of course, Briarwood. The four girls had been best friends for a very, very long time. MJ, the one stretched out on the ground, and Riley had known each other since elementary school. Alexandra, the one on top of the table had become their friend during elementary school and then Eve moved to Briarwood a few years ago. Everyone knew that the girls were close, and if you messed with one, you messed with the whole lot.

MJ stood up and brushed some leaves and dirt from her skirt, "Let's not talk about such depressing things. Why don't we talk about." she stopped to think about a new subject for a moment, and then picking a leaf off of her school skirt she groaned and said, " about these stupid school skirts? Why can't we just wear slacks like the boys do?" she grumbled and pulled, yet another, dead leaf from her light brown hair. She threw the leaf into the hair and let the wind catch it. The girls watched it blowing about for a few seconds, until it just barely missed Riley's dark hair, and landed into Alex's masses of curls.

"Oh great," Alex said, "now we'll never find that leaf again."

The girls laughed. Alex's hair was kind of a running joke- mainly because it looked rather like a lion's mane.

"Don't worry" Eve grinned, "I've got it" she plucked it out of the light brown locks and set it on the table, just as the school bell rang.

"Dear lord." Riley sighed, "back to the horrible thing they call education." She rolled her eyes.

"Ah," Alex said dramatically, "what terrible hardships we youth face!" she placed the back of her palm onto her forehead, swayed for a moment, and then collapsed onto the tabletop.

The other girls just shook their heads, and Eve grabbed Alex's arm and pulled her upright. MJ set off in front and the rest followed rather reluctantly. "Things could be a lot worse you know" MJ called over her shoulder and Riley let out a 'HA!'

Riley added in an undertone, "She wouldn't be saying that if she didn't have a thing for the teacher!"

END PROLOGUE